Pillow Talk
by Meimi no Kage
Summary: Noel is an idiot. Hope is more than aware of this fact. (Noel/Hope, random Modern AU junk)
1. Pillow Talk

**Pillow Talk**  
_**by Meimi**_

* * *

Satiation was a wonderful state of being. A sense of bonelessness permeated the body while certain areas ached in just the right way. The fact that the person who made him feel this way preferred to cuddle afterwards was merely the quintessential cherry on top of his luscious cake. Couldn't really argue with such stellar results. _Repeated_ stellar results.

"Hope?" A kiss on the back of his shoulder. It didn't seem like a precursor, but there really was no telling with Noel. His stamina was rather remarkable.

"Hmm?" If Noel thought they were going another round, he was going to be sorely mistaken. Some people had to work in the morning.

"We really need to talk about this streak of masochism you have." ...What? Oh god, what kind of lunacy had he come up with this time. One of these days Hope was going to put Serah on speed dial and let _her_ deal with Noel's after sex stupidity. After _that_, she would never ever accuse him of being too sensitive about the crap Noel kept pulling.

"I'm going to regret this, and I will probably hit you at one point or another, but what are you blathering on about now?" Hope groused in as put upon a manner as he could manage at this time of night. Why couldn't Noel ever just go for something _sane_ with his post-coital musings?

"I know you always end up with a backache after a really good night. You really need to tell me when I'm going too far with the gymnastics, I don't want you to get hurt." It sounded reasonable. Then again, it always sounded reasonable in the beginning. It was when he made the mistake of going along with it that it ballooned into some ridiculous farce about his safety and Noel just being a complete overbearing _moron_. He didn't _need_ a mother and he didn't want Noel to get turned into paste when Lightning discovered someone was moving in on her territory in that regard. Why did he know so many crazy people?

Hoping that he could manage to get everything out in one go so that he could go to sleep already, Hope took a huge breath and just let it all out, "It's not an issue, Noel. And I don't really care about it either way. There's absolutely nothing masochistic about enjoying incredible sex. And really, if I had a problem with your exuberant performance, the pain you are constantly being in my ass would be a higher priority than a simple backache."

He could feel the lips still resting against the back of his shoulder curl up in what could only be a devilish grin. Noel did appreciate compliments in that particular area, and they were usually a good way to get the ball rolling. Unfortunately for Noel, the ball was staying right where it was for the rest of the night. It was a tempting idea, to be sure, but he still had the issue of work in the morning. Noel was just going to have to live without. "Before you even get all hot and bothered, know that I will kick you out of the bed if you try anything. _Some_ of us have to be cognizant in the morning. If you can't control yourself, then use your damn hand."

Noel was laughing against his back now, full on guffaws. Maybe Hope should just go ahead and kick him out. At this rate, it would be dawn before he finally had the chance to get any shut eye. He had meetings. They were important. He needed to be conscious and firing on all cylinders. Noel wasn't helping with any that in the slightest.

"I'm sorry." More kisses against his back, interspersed with chuckles. Why did he have to be the only adult in this relationship? Just because he was the best at getting things done didn't mean he wanted to be the one in charge all the time. And certainly not with this idiot. Noel was _very_ good at what he did. Too bad he was also really good at being an idiot. "Go to sleep, I won't bother you anymore."

"Hmmph, you'd better not or it'll be the floor for you," Hope warned dangerously. He had zero qualms with following it through. Sleep was important.

Another chuckle. "I love you."

"Yes yes, I love you too," Hope sighed, then added, "And so does the floor."


	2. Relax a Little

**Relax a Little**  
_**by Meimi**_

* * *

"Wow, this place is extravagant."

Hope hummed absently in agreement as he trailed after Noel into their hotel room. It was certainly far more spacious than he'd been expecting, but appeared to contain the necessities: a sitting area for him to do his work in, two full beds that were one more than needed (unless Noel wanted to play musical beds again), and what was likely the bathroom at the back. It should prove satisfactory for his needs. As for Noel, well, nothing would ever truly contain Noel. Parking his roll-away luggage beside the nearest bed, Hope shrugged out of his coat and busied himself with the immediate task of hooking his laptop up. Noel hadn't let him boot up on the plane, which meant there would be quite a few messages waiting for him now.

"Holy crap! This place has a hot tub!"

Interesting and unexpected. And also a guarantee that Noel would practically live in the bathroom for the entirety of the conference. Hmm, Hope wasn't paying for the room, but he should probably tip the hotel for that added bonus. He didn't mind having Noel take off work and tag along with him for stuff like this. In fact, he rather appreciated it. It was nice to know that Noel still wanted to be around him even when he was doing "boring shit". Still, Noel was energy personified, having something to keep him occupied was a blessing in disguise.

Hope blinked at the sound of running water. Someone was impatient. "I take it we'll be ordering room service instead of going out for dinner?" he called out, wincing a moment later when he opened up his email. Three pages worth of messages? Why did it always end up like this? He was the head researcher, not their mother. They did not need him to hold their hands to perform basic experimentation. It was known as basic for a reason.

"Jacuzzi!"

Ah, and there was Noel's answer. Room service it was then. It would work out better this way, Hope supposed. This would give him enough time to answer the important messages and to come up with something other than snide insults for the rest. He would be professional about it, damnit. The minutes ticked by as he scrolled through his email, specifically looking for the names of people he knew weren't stupid. The water had stopped pouring eight or so messages back. Noel was probably enjoying himself immensely.

Hope missed the sound of squelching footsteps behind him. He _really_ shouldn't have though. Noel was rather predictable in wanting to share his fun (though it usually ended up more as forcing his fun upon others). Strong, dripping wet arms abruptly plucked Hope out of his chair, almost knocking it over, and swung him up around against Noel's chest.

"Hi there," Noel said cheerfully.

"Noel! What are you doing?!" Hope did not shriek as he was lifted up. He did not. He was just surprised. That was all. And why did Noel always have to carry him around like a bride? He could walk on his own, thank you very much.

"There's this great hot tub with our names on it," Noel explained breezily as he marched into the bathroom. "Just look at that thing. It's huge!"

It was indeed quite large, and the two of them would easily fit in it. But that was no excuse! "Noel," Hope growled as he was set down on the edge of the tub, "I have work to do."

"It can wait." Noel grinned impishly as he leaned over and started unbuttoning Hope's shirt (which was rather soaked by this point). "You need to take some time out to relax every now and then, you know."

"I do not and no it can't," Hope huffed hotly as Noel pulled his shirt off and tossed it somewhere over his shoulder. It made a wet slap as it hit the floor.

"You totally do," Noel argued goodnaturedly as he unbuckled Hope's pants and started sliding them down. "And if it could wait through the plane ride, then it can wait even longer. If it was important you would've insisted on doing it on the plane. You didn't, ergo I win."

Hope scowled darkly, but allowed the manhandling. Noel might be right (maybe), but that didn't mean he had to concede defeat. At least not verbally, anyway. His pants, underwear, shoes, and socks swiftly followed after his shirt, and then Noel was twisting him around and lowering him into the warm, bubbling water. Well, it did feel nice. Quite nice actually, he hadn't realized how tense the plane ride had made him. Well, maybe Noel did have a point then.

Or not. Hope mentally sighed to himself as Noel clambered in and then immediately pinned him to the side of the tub.

Yes, Noel was very predictable. Insistent lips nipped at his own. Too predictable. Hands slid enticingly down his sides. But then again, he supposed that some predictability was worth making a routine out of. Hope hooked a leg around Noel's waist, pulling him in closer. And letting Noel win every now and then wasn't exactly a bad thing either.


	3. Sick Day

**Sick Day**  
_**by Meimi**_

* * *

It was hot. No, that wasn't correct. His head was hot, everything else was freezing. Noel gathered the blankets tighter around him and shivered. Everything felt heavy and tight. Maybe his skull had shrunk while he was asleep? It felt like it. Hard to breath too, felt like somebody was stabbing him in the chest with tiny needles every time he took a breath. What the hell did he do last night to feel this rotten in the morning? Nothing came to mind, though he wasn't really thinking too hard about it. Thinking hurt. Just being alive hurt right now. He'd just been... He'd just been taking care of Hope, who'd been dead sick the past three days thanks to an inconsiderate coworker coughing their germs all over the office. The complaints about said coworker had been long and quite creative during the first two days. The third day had been quieter thanks to improvements that had allowed Hope to sleep through most of the misery. That was going to be a problem though. Noel wasn't sure he'd be able to take care of Hope properly when it felt like his head was going to fall off.

Noel flinched as something cold was laid across his brow. _What?_ "Stay still." The softly voiced command was followed by what felt like a hand gripping the side of his head, keeping him from struggling. That had sounded like... Noel cracked his eyes open just a sliver, then immediately slammed them shut. Too bright. The light hurt. But that had sounded like Hope and he really shouldn't be up yet. _Still sick_. Noel scrunched his nose up. This was going to be terrible, but he could do it. Just had to get through it. Bracing himself, Noel cracked his left eye open, wincing as the light stabbed him for his troubles. It... wasn't very bright though. Not really. The drapes were still drawn from yesterday, and all of the lights were off, even the bathroom was dark. It _was_ morning though, and the dim light emanating from the darkened windows was still far, far too much for him to handle. _Hurt_.

A shadow shifted over him and Noel could feel the fingers from that hand gently glide through his hair, stroking the too tight skin of his scalp comfortingly. Definitely Hope then. "You should be in bed," Noel rasped out, instantly horrified at how scratchy his voice sounded. Hurt too, like someone had spent all night rubbing sandpaper all over the inside of his throat. _Terrible_.

The dark blob that he knew must be Hope shook its head at him. The top had to be the head, right? "I thought about it," the blob murmured quietly in Hope's voice (definitely Hope), "But then you hoarded all the covers for yourself and I was left very cold and alone."

Oh. Whoops. "Sorry," Noel tried to say, but it came out more as the creaking of a half dead tree than a recognizable human word. Wow, he sounded terrible.

"You're sick," Hope blob said matter of factly, and Noel thought rather uncharitably that that was more than obvious by now. He kept it to himself though, mostly because he didn't want the tree to fall over and because he knew this was kind of his fault anyway. Hope _had_ warned him, but he'd just refused to listen. "This is what happens when you kiss someone who's sick, moron." _Pretty_ much. No regrets though. Well... not really. Maybe. His head hurt.

The Hope blob seemed to steel itself, then Noel felt that hand sliding beneath his head. What? "You need to take some medicine before your fever gets too high." Oh. Oh no. No no no. That meant sitting up. No way that was going to work out. His head would fall off. He could feel the other hand slide under one of his shoulders, urging him up. No. This was such a bad idea. "Come on, I need you to help me here, I can't do this on my own. Still too weak from the past few days." Damn. Hope blob knew his weaknesses. His head would fall off, but the guilt from making Hope do everything would be worse.

_Goodbye head, it was nice having you around_.

Gritting his teeth, Noel pushed himself up, and then nearly fell over. His muscles were trembling like a cloth in the wind from just that little exertion. If Hope had been feeling this bad on the first day, it's a wonder Noel hadn't already gotten his head bit off for being an overeager nursemaid. The arm attached to one of those hands wrapped around him, pulling him flush against the blob that was most definitely Hope. No other blob could manipulate him quite so easily with just a few well placed words. Fingers pressed at his lips and he opened them obediently. What felt like pills (and tasted horribly, so _had_ to be pills) were dropped in. _Yuck_. The fingers vanished, then something hard was placed there. Oh, a glass. _Oh_, water. Cool, delicious water. _Hope really did love him_. Best man in the world.

The glass was removed before he had a chance to drain it dry. Noel let out a whine that came out sounding more like a violin dying than anything that could possibly be human. "Not so much at once or you'll puke," the Hope blob reprimanded gently. "There is no way I can clean that up if you do."

Noel grunted in displeased understanding. He wanted more of that wonderful water, but the very thought of having to wash the bedding if he threw up on it made him shrivel up inside. No thank you. Hope blob stroked his back soothingly. He felt cool to the touch, which was strange because Noel was still freezing. His head hadn't fallen off though, so that was a plus. Noel tried to hum his appreciation, but it also sounded completely wrong, more like breaking rocks than himself. Okay yeah, no more trying to make any sort of sound while he was sick period. It just made him sound worse than he felt.

"All right," Hope blob said after awhile, "Looks like that's going to stay down. Time to put you back to bed." Noel almost protested, but then thought better of it. Even though Hope blob felt really nice to lean against, sleep would be the best course of action to this brand of misery. He still trembled terribly as Hope blob helped him to lay back down, but their combined efforts managed to get him back there in one piece. The cold thing was placed back on his head (When had it fallen off?) and fingers brushed softly over his cheek. "Sleep." Noel nodded slightly and then instantly regretted it. Ow. "Get better." The fingers tapped at his cheek. "And no more kisses until we're both well."

Damn. Full on misery from here on out then. Noel supposed it was probably a good thing he'd gotten so sick from being stupid enough to kiss a very ill Hope. He was too pathetic to get yelled at right now. Probably later though. Well, by then he would definitely be able to silence the tirade with kisses. They worked pretty well on that front. And sleep... Well, right now, sleep was the best idea he'd ever heard.


	4. Hunger

**Hunger**  
_**by Meimi**_

* * *

Noel perked up at the sound of the front door opening and then closing a moment later. The timing couldn't be more perfect. He'd set the table scant minutes ago and now all that was left to do was fix up the plates. It had been awhile since he'd had the chance to cook dinner at home; so he'd practically jumped on the idea when Hope had sent him a text earlier in the day. Hope getting home before dusk was a bit uncommon already; but lately he'd been coming home so late that he'd just come in and instantly go straight to bed. Noel didn't mind it too much. He knew that sometimes things just got out of hand, but he did worry about it a little. The food at Hope's office was crap. The food at the labs was even worse, and Hope fully agreed on that point. But when he was super bogged down like this, Noel just _knew_ that Hope wouldn't take the time to go out to get anything (or to even consider sending someone else out to get something). In essence, Hope's eating habits were borderline toxic and utterly tragic. Luckily for him though, he had excellent taste in men. Noel couldn't help but smirk to himself. The career of being a cook hadn't been for him in the end, but he'd certainly learned a thing or two from his time with it. Like making food that wasn't crap.

"You've been industrious, I see."

Noel schooled his smirk down into a welcoming smile before turning around, didn't need to set off Hope's alarm bells over a little smug nothing. His breath stuttered in his throat the instant he laid eyes on Hope. He really was just too damn pretty for his own good. Hope had already shed his coats and was in the process of undoing his tie. His hair was ruffled a little, probably from the wind. It had been a brisk day. His lashes were at half mast (probably already super tired), but he was still giving Noel that intense look of his. The one that made Noel want to drop everything and carry him off to bed. But no, he'd be good this time around, damnit. Hope needed a quiet night of good food and relaxation. His own hormones could wait. For awhile. Hopefully.

"Well, I figured you could use a decent meal by now," Noel said easily as he very pointedly ignored his libido. "I even picked up a good bottle of wine to go with it."

"Oh, we're getting fancy tonight," Hope murmured, his tone low as he slowly pulled off his tie. Noel felt a muscle twitch down his back but ignored it as well. Hope was just tired. That was all there was to it. Just... _tired_. "Well then, come feed me." Hope's lips curled up into a smile full of (_imagined_) promise as he turned around and made his way towards the dining room.

Noel gave himself a hard shake and lightly slapped his cheeks. "Get it together, Kreiss. He's had a long week. You'll get cuddles later," he muttered under his breath as he arrayed his most excellent meal across two plates then tucked the wine bottle under his arm and carried them all expertly into the dining room. The early years of his life spent waiting tables still proved useful after all this time. In this particular case, the skill of how to carry stuff and not spill it was pretty good.

Hope had already seated himself at the table, his chin resting on the hand that belonged to the arm he had propped against it. That smile was still there. If he didn't know better, Noel would almost suspect that Hope was undressing him with that intense stare of his. But no, he was probably just tired. Long week. Etcetera etcetera etcetera. He could deal. Hope when he was just being _normal_ was a huge turn on for Noel. Add a little ruffled intensity to it? Yeah, the urge to just toss him over his shoulder and head off to the bedroom for some good old ravishing was more than present. But he was good! He could rein his more carnal desires in, no problem.

Good food. Good company. It was all good. _Right?_

Noel would like to say he didn't make a fool out of himself over the next half hour. He would very much like to. Unfortunately, he couldn't recall a damn thing he'd said throughout the entire meal. He knew they had shared small talk about something or other, but couldn't remember anything about it. All he could remember was that _tongue_ as it licked droplets of wine off of those _lips_, those languid bites, and those damnedable green eyes that continuously watched him through it all. He hadn't imagined it, right? No. No, he hadn't imagined it at all.

They'd gotten halfway through the bottle once they'd finished with the food. Not enough for either of them to get drunk off of. Just a slight buzz at best. A nice, warm buzz. Noel had planned on being the perfect host: feed his most beloved person in the whole world, and then clean up so Hope wouldn't have to worry about it. Hope had other ideas. Just as Noel reached down to collect Hope's plate, a hand latched onto his wrist. That smile was back full force. The other hand snaked up and grasped at his shoulder, pulling him down insistently. Hot breath puffed at his ear, sending shivers down his spine. "Are you going to take me to bed or should I clear the table for that?" Hope purred, sending more shockwaves directly to Noel's groin as he then licked up the curve of Noel's ear.

Okay, so he hadn't been imagining it. The lapse could be forgiven, it wasn't like Hope ever really went out of his way to seduce him. Not that he ever really had to. Saying that Noel was always eager would be putting it mildly. Very, very mildly. It didn't take much to get him going. Not much at all.

_Fuck it_. The dishes could wait. He had something a lot better to devour now anyway. Grinning at the entire situation, Noel hooked his arms under Hope and hauled him up out of the chair. "You could've just said something," he pointed out as he headed back towards the bedroom. The bed was a much better choice than the table. It wouldn't leave any extra bruises, just the ones he would damn well put there himself.

"Now why would I do that?" Hope's smile turned even more seductive (if that was even possible) as he raked his fingers down Noel's back. Even through his shirt, they left trails of incredibly pleasant tingling. Okay, yeah, the sooner he got Hope out of his clothes the better. "Besides," Hope murmured huskily, "I like watching you squirm."

"That's funny," Noel shot back as he reached his destination and plopped Hope down on the bed without fanfare, "So do I." No comeback was forthcoming as Noel bent himself to the task of removing both of their clothing while doing his very best to steal Hope's breath. Yet another useful skill he'd learned over the years. One of the better ones really. Hope without any clothes on was one of his life's goals, after all. And he was _really_ good at it.


	5. Live a Little

**Live a Little**  
_**by Meimi**_

Chapter Summary: Nora is a terrible, horrible mother. Just ask Hope. (At the beginning~)

* * *

Hope blinked as a plate of something that looked atrociously decadent was set down on the coffee table in front of him. Not again. "What is this?" he asked wearily as he looked up at his mother.

Nora merely gave him a playful wink before gracefully sitting down in the plush chair off to the side, her own plate in hand. "Try it and find out."

"Mom, I really don't need this type of stuff," Hope grumbled as he glared down at the plate she'd given him. He shouldn't have agreed to come over when he'd gotten that text. He just... hadn't thought it through. A text out of the blue from his mother was rare. She much preferred to just call, and then grill him for an hour or more on his godawful living habits. _Did you eat breakfast? Are your clothes clean? Have you washed your sheets this year? Did you run out of gas again because you forgot to fill up? Is the color of your car even visible? Are we sure you're not a bodysnatcher? I know I raised a much cleaner child than you. Yes, mom. Of course, mom. Of course I have, mom! You're screwing with me now, aren't you? Are you sure you're my mother? Or did you get replaced with a harpy again? I love you, you giant brat. Love you too, mom._ And so it went.

"Sweetie, it's my job to feed you sweets and make you fat," Nora explained cheerfully before taking a giant bite out of her latest artery clogger. Hope almost facepalmed at the obscene noises she made as she languidly chewed through and then eventually swallowed it. Had to be chocolate... something. She only got this way when chocolate was involved.

"I think you're mixing up roles again," Hope said as he very deliberately did not look in her direction as she took another bite, "Grandmothers are the ones who spoil their grandchildren. _Mothers_ are the ones who scar their children."

"Well, I don't see why I can't be both to _you_," Nora mock huffed as she waved her fork at her unimpressed son. "It's not like I'm going to be getting grandkids out of you. At least not the normal way."

Hope pinched the bridge of his nose. He could already feel the headache coming on. "Not this again."

"Honey, it's really not a problem," Nora said soothingly. "I mean, it could've been so much worse."

"Please don't remind me," Hope groaned helplessly. He knew better though. It was like a requirement of motherhood or something, to constantly remind their children of their most mortifying moments in life.

"The only girl you've ever had a crush on was Claire Farron," Nora plowed on, her tone dripping with imagined displeasure. "And thank god that didn't pan out, I would've had to disown you. Can you just imagine how much paperwork that would have entailed? Horrifying."

"_Mom!_" Every single time. Without fail. She always had to bring up that stupid puppy love he'd had for Claire back when he was _fourteen_. Over a decade ago now! As if it had ever been something that could've even possibly been serious. _Really_. They'd spent so much time together growing up that they were practically siblings. And still were. Of course he loved her. And Serah too! They were as much his family as his lunatic parents.

"Such a terrible family," Nora moaned overdramatically, "How they haven't ruined you completely is a miracle of biblical proportions."

Hope just gave her a dirty look. "Give it a rest already."

Nora smirked. Oh god, what was she up to now? "Well if you don't want to discuss the Farrons, and who can blame you, why don't we switch track?" That smirk widened dangerously. Hope could already tell that this was going to end badly for him. "After all, you've been spending all of your free time with such a young thing lately. Noel, wasn't it?"

Oh god. Maybe he should just go ahead and make arrangements with a funeral home already. He wasn't getting out of this one alive. "He's just a friend, mom."

"Well, if he is he's not going to be one for much longer," Nora pointed out, returning the nasty look he gave her full force with her next comment. "Baby, he's undressing you everytime he looks your way. He's gonna get you out of your clothes sooner rather than later."

"Mom, he's _eigh_teen," Hope tried. It was in vain, of course. She was already insinuating about his future sex life. But it was a point that needed to be made. "He's just a friend of Serah's. There is nothing going on." And in that he knew he was lying through his teeth. Nothing going on at all. No, of course not. Nothing strange about Noel having to sit next to him every Saturday during Serah's "family night" (which she insisted he attend religiously on pains of death). Nothing strange about Noel brushing against him or flat out leaning against him if he could get away with it. And certainly nothing strange about those _looks_ he kept getting. Nothing at all. He was the adult, damnit. Adults weren't supposed to get seduced by kids. And most especially not by really incredibly hot looking ones. Noel was insane. There were much better fish in the sea out there just waiting for someone like him to come along. He could do a lot better than someone as emotionally inept as Hope.

"Honey, that just means he's legal," Nora supplied breezily before taking another bite of her sweets. She eyed him speculatively as she took her time chewing it, then swallowed heavily and scowled. "Please stop the hang dog act, you are really not _that_ much older than him. And no one would blink an eye if you decided to get yourself an eighteen year old trophy wife. This is no different."

"He's not a trophy!" Hope scowled right back.

Nora rolled her eyes. "Baby, something that looks that good _is_ a trophy."

"He's not a thing, damnit." And he wasn't! Noel was nice, and sweet, and funny... and really hot. Just because the last bit fit didn't make him into a trophy. And besides, nothing was going on. At all. Really. Noel would find his brain one of these days and realize that there were much younger, hotter guys out there for him to pursue. It had to happen sometime, right?

"Sweetheart, I realize that you are a complete failure as a human being," Nora smiled fondly, taking the edge out of her words. "I acknowledge this and accept the blame. I spoiled you ridiculously and your father is an idiot. Our parenting skills have been rather subpar. But seriously, get over it. The kid wants in your pants pretty badly. Let him. You'll enjoy it. It'll be great. An adventure even."

Hope leaned back against the couch and stared up at the ceiling. "You're not helping."

"On the contrary, I am helping you out significantly," Nora shot back smugly. "All of those little voices in your head that are telling you that you're too old and he's too young and it's just so wrong are completely stupid. I'm sorry, it must be something you inherited from your father, because I'm not that dumb."

"I hate you," Hope monotoned. His life was over. Between Serah wondering if he might need some condoms in his near future and now his mother insisting that he should have sex with an eighteen year old, there was nothing _sane_ left in the world. They were all barking mad.

"You love me," Nora chuckled wickedly, "And you know I'm right. You just don't want to admit it."

Hope rolled his head over and gave her the most morose look he could manage. "How exactly are we related again?"

Nora shrugged and took another bite from her plate. "I just want you to be happy, honey. That's all. And in spite of the fact that you are weird and awkward, this kid totally digs you. Live a little and let him have his fun. And if it doesn't go anywhere, at least you'll get some good sex out of it."

"You don't know that," Hope said flatly as he turned back to staring up at the ceiling. Shame the ground hadn't swallowed him up yet. He could use a little peace and quiet right about now. No more comments about his possible sex life. _From his mother_. That would be wonderful.

"Hope, baby, if he wasn't into you, _I_ might think about tapping that," Nora grinned sinfully at the thought.

Hope closed his eyes forcefully and tried very hard to not think about that. Nope. No. His mind was a vast, empty wasteland. And it would stay that way. But yes indeed, mothers were quite good at scarring their children. "I... did not need to know that."

"You're welcome anyway, dear," Nora said cheerfully, her smirk morphing into a loving, if resigned, smile. "Now eat your treat and get fat. I have a job to do here, you know."


	6. Toying With Cupcakes

**Toying With Cupcakes**  
_**by Meimi**_

Chapter Summary: A little thing inspired by a fanart of Ruaki's (tumblr: ruakichan post #: 82866411167).

* * *

Hope blinked upon his first viewing of the dining room table. It wasn't uncommon for him to come home to Noel doing something in the kitchen. Even though he ultimately hadn't liked the lifestyle of a commercial chef, Noel had latched onto the basic act of cooking like a fish to water. It was, however, odd to come home to Noel in the kitchen and the dining room table being covered in rows and rows of what appeared to be cupcakes. Something must be going on that he was unaware of. Hope, personally, didn't care much for sweets; so Noel tended to keep them to a minimum around the house. Didn't mean he wouldn't make a boatload for somebody else if they asked though, which was likely the case here.

"Noel?" Hope called out.

"Crap!" The yelp was accompanied by the sound of something metal clattering on the tile floor. Hmm, must not have heard him come in for once. Odd. Noel was usually pretty alert for that. "Just a second! I'll be right there." Hope reached up and started undoing his tie as he glanced over across the cupcakes, his curiosity piqued. Who were these for?

"Sorry, sorry about that," Noel said as he breezed out of the kitchen, then muttered almost to himself, "Don't know why I didn't hear you come in. Weird." He scrunched his nose up in annoyance, then shook his head before swooping in to give Hope a searing welcome home kiss. The seconds ticked by, Noel reaching up to thread his fingers through Hope's hair, and Hope began to wonder if he was going to get an explanation or if they were just going to forego that for their usual nightly activities. He couldn't say that he minded either way, though he _was_ curious. It was starting to get a bit hot under the collar when Noel finally drew back, a contented little smile on his face. "Hi."

Well, that was something of an answer to that. No funtimes in the bedroom just yet. Probably later. _Always_ later. But not getting jumped yet meant that he could ask about the stuff. Good. "Hi there yourself. So what's with all of these cupcakes?"

Noel grinned impishly at the question and Hope suddenly felt a sense of unease. What was he up to? "Well, Serah's doing something or another for those kids she teaches and she asked me to bake some treats." That sounded innocuous enough. So what was the grin about? "Thing is, she wanted them a little different from the norm." Hope blinked as he was turned around and pushed towards the table. "I mean, we all know how it is with kids and sugar." Oh, he could see where this was going. Hope sighed as he was pushed down into the nearest end chair. Taste testing.

"_Noel_, you know how I feel about sweets," Hope protested as Noel plucked a cupcake out of the rows and offered it to him.

"Yes yes," Noel rolled his eyes and continued to offer Hope the cupcake, "Your mother is a lunatic who force feeds you sickeningly sweet crap everytime you go over to visit. But I promise this stuff is different. For one thing," he held up the index finger of his free hand, "They won't give you a heart attack. And for another, I made them specifically with you in mind. So try one, okay? You're the best judge on whether something is too sweet or not."

Hope sighed in obvious defeat and yanked the cupcake out of Noel's grasp. "This had better be good," he grumped as he peeled the paper cup off, sniffed at the confection skeptically, then finally risked a cautionary nibble. Huh. It _was_ still sweet, but not at the artery clenching level he was sadly accustomed to. Hmm. Not too bad really. The frosting was odd though. "What is this stuff?" Hope asked while indicating the creme on top. It was very... airy, not like the usual cloying stuff he associated with cake type products.

Noel beamed. "I know you don't like the texture of buttercream, and it's still too sweet anyway," he explained happily as Hope munched on the rest of his cupcake. The fact that he was even eating more than just a tiny bite meant that it was a staggering success. "But I didn't want to do whip cream either since that's also too sweet, so I went for something a little in the middle."

"Seems to have worked out well then," Hope nodded distractedly as he started to lick his fingers clean, stopping in mid-lick when Noel made the oddest sound. Something caught between a cough and a whine. Hope gave him a questioning look as he absently sucked the finger clean instead.

Noel returned it with what appeared to be a pained expression as he waved his hands helplessly in front of him. "Stop that," he whined. Ah, so that had been a whine of some sort Hope had just heard. What was the problem now? "I still have to clean up and put all of this in the fridge. So stop that right now!" Noel grumbled as he marched past Hope and headed back into the kitchen.

Hope watched him go, his brows furrowed in confusion. Taking his finger out of his mouth, he stared at it for a moment and then smirked as he finally caught on. Slow of him, that kiss had been pretty heavy for his usual welcome home. Someone was feeling friskier than normal, but also had to be the responsible homemaker. Hmm. What would be the best way to torment him? Hope licked another finger in thought, then stopped. Well, there was that, yes. And it already had Noel hot and bothered, might as well go with it. Hope shrugged and picked up another cupcake from the collection. He wouldn't mind eating more of these, especially if it got under Noel's skin.

"Okay, all I need to do is get these covered and transferred-" Noel huffed as he rounded the corner back into the dining room, then halted in mid-stride when his gaze fell back on Hope. "Wha- What are you doing?"

Hope looked over at Noel and licked some creme off his thumb. "Eating another one of your cupcakes?" he offered oh so innocently by way of explanation. "They're not bad."

Noel scowled and shook his finger accusingly at Hope. "You never eat sweets without _some_ coaxing. You're doing that on purpose."

Hope smirked as he licked a little curlicue out of the creme on top of the cupcake. The smirk took on a triumphant tone as he got another whine out of Noel for his troubles. "It's not my fault you have no willpower."

"Yes it is!" Noel groused as he did _not_ look at Hope when he took another bite out of the cupcake. "It is always your fault. Come _on_, knock it off, I need to put this stuff up first."

Hope snorted. "They won't go stale in an hour," he pointed out helpfully, then wolfed down the rest of the cupcake and held his creme covered fingers out invitingly towards Noel. "Would you rather lick them yourself?"

Noel gave Hope a dirty look, but grabbed his wrist before he could pull back. "I'm going to make you regret this," he grumbled, then slowly curled his tongue around one finger, sucking the tip into his mouth a moment later.

Hope just smiled up at him. "I never regret anything with you, Noel. I doubt you're going to make me start now."

Dropping his head in utter defeat, Noel couldn't help but chuckle. "You are terrible. Why can't you let me stay mad at you?"

Hope hummed loudly in fake consideration, then shrugged overdramatically. "I guess I love you too much. Maybe you should try being a jerk more often?" he suggested, then broke out into peals of laughter as Noel yanked him up out of the chair and threw him over his shoulder. "I guess this means that I'm more important than cupcakes?"

Noel snorted in growing amusement as he headed back towards the bedroom. It was where they always ended up, one way or another. "Ask me that when you try to walk tomorrow."


	7. Meet and Greet

**Meet and Greet**  
_**by Meimi**_

Chapter Summary: Hope was an adult, damnit. (First meeting.)

* * *

This was, without a doubt, the dumbest thing Hope had gotten roped into participating on in a good long while. And yet, here he was, holding his breath as he carefully placed one card atop another. If those two thought this was going to be difficult for him, they had another thing coming. He wasn't that drunk, after all. Not yet anyway. Helping to construct a house of cards with Serah's boyfriend was still utterly and completely stupid though. _Why in the world-_ No. No, he already knew the answer as to why he was doing this crap. Claire had snickered audibly the first time Snow had brought it up and from then on Hope had been doomed into helping out. One of these days he'd grow a backbone where the girls were concerned. Maybe. Possibly. Family was such a terrible, horrible thing to endure. Worse so when they were friends whom he considered family by choice. One day they'd prove to be his ultimate downfall, and he had only himself to blame.

"Damn, man," Snow whistled appreciatively as Hope finally leaned back, the cards perfectly aligned and stable, "You're really good with your hands, aren't you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Hope smirked as he grabbed his bottle up off of the table and took a swig - yet another strange microbrew that Serah was inflicting upon them. Not that this one tasted bad, but he could never really trust her on the amount of alcohol in all the strange stuff she managed to find. Nor could he really check, Serah always peeled the labels off right before the trash ran for the week. "A pleasant surprise!" she called it. More like, let's see how drunk I can get my family today without them realizing it. Not that he was really complaining, it was harmless fun for the most part, and he'd learned how to not embarrass himself while under the influence years ago. Snow on the other hand...

"Yeah, let's not and say we didn't," Snow drawled out, then grimaced at the unpleasant mental images that were likely running through his mind, "I don't think I'd be able to find all the pieces of my dick once Serah got through with me if I messed around with her little bro."

"You're assuming Serah would get to you first," Claire pointed out from her carefully positioned sprawl on the couch. She smiled - showing teeth - as Snow cast a wary glance back at her. "Don't count on it."

Shaking his head at the obvious posturing, Snow shrugged and focused his attention back on the table and the centerpiece they were constructing for it. "Yeah yeah, you're all overprotective, murderous savages. But you all seem to forget that I live for danger." Aiming a foolhardy grin in Hope's general direction, Snow snatched up a new card and bent over the carefully constructed framework. "Why do you guys think I find Serah so damn hot anyway?"

Hope shared an amused look with Claire before offering, "And here we thought you were just in it for the mind blowing sex."

"That too," Snow practically guffawed, then decided on a promising sight and began to lower his card down.

Stopping himself short of shaking his own head, Hope smiled pleasantly and took another swig of his beer. It was the usual banter whenever that old, well-used joke came up. Claire and Serah always introduced him to their new paramours as their precious baby brother. Eventually, their lack of actual blood relation would be found out and many laughs would be had (usually at the expense of said paramours). Of course, the threat of what would happen if anyone messed around with their very good looking, pseudo-adopted brother would still remain. Claire liked terrifying Serah's boyfriends and vice versa, after all. Not that Hope really needed the protection, but it was always a great joke and he appreciated the sentiment behind it. It was nice to feel wanted... and the manufactured terror _was_ hilarious.

"I'm back!" Serah's voice rang out from somewhere deep in the bowels of her house - the location of the garage was so odd. "You lot had better not have wrecked my place!"

"You do that just fine on your own!" Claire called back, rolling her eyes ceiling ward for a dramatic effect that was mostly lost on her immediate audience. Taking note of the lack, she cocked an eyebrow at the intense attention Snow was giving to the mostly stable house of cards and then smirked devilishly. "Not that Snow doesn't contribute to it, of course."

Hearing his name, and likely nothing else thanks to his focus on the cards, Snow blinked back at her owlishly. "What? I did what?" The card he was holding went slightly askew thanks to his concentration getting divided and the inevitable occured. Gravity happened and the entire thing collapsed in on itself. "Ah damnit! You did that on purpose."

"Yes, I did," Claire chuckled as she straightened up on the couch, patting her clothes down carefully, before spearing them both with a baleful glare. "Remember, it's Lightning to the new guy. Any mistake on your part and you'll quickly find out why my executives fear the sound of heels."

Squinching his nose up at the very real threat, Snow huffed out mournfully at the pile of cards on the table, then stumped over to one of the side chairs. "Yes, oh malevolent one. Wouldn't want to give the poor guy the impression that you are an actual human being. That would go against the natural order of things."

"I'm pleased that you understand me so well," the now dubbed Lightning said sweetly. "Serah's such a great teacher."

Hope bit his bottom lip in amusement at Snow's answering groan and made his own way over to a free chair. None of them had met Serah's newest "_awesome_" friend as of yet, but they'd certainly heard all about him. It was interesting. Serah was a social butterfly, always had been. She hit it off splendidly with just about anybody, but they usually didn't leave such a lasting impression on her. And yet, she'd been talking nonstop about this guy for weeks. Judging by that, he ought to at least be a little different from the norm. Maybe. Well, he probably would be quite the character, but Hope suspected that he'd end up as the requisite wallflower again. He just wasn't all that great with new people. It had taken far more time than Hope would ever like to admit for him to get comfortable enough around Snow to voice the usual quips that came so easily when it was just him and the girls. He'd always been socially awkward, and always would be it seemed. Honestly, he was rather resigned to it by now. It wasn't too bad though. And there were always worse things to be-

"Hey guys, hope you're not too drunk yet," Serah chirped happily as she bounded into the room. A very, very nice looking male specimen of the species trailed along behind her. Awkward though he may be, Hope liked to think he wasn't too much of a fool. Serah's new friend was about the best looking thing he'd seen in a long time, and there was no feasible way he was going to be able to talk his brain out of _admiring_ this particular view for the foreseeable future. Eh, he could always blame it on the alcohol if it became an issue. But really, trust Serah to bring home the sexiest thing she could find as her newest _friend_. Hope didn't even have to look to know that Snow would be fighting back an incredibly jealous glare right about now (not that Serah would ever replace that idiot). Indeed, this was going to be... _interesting_.

"Okay, you guys, try to pay attention here for a minute," Serah admonished jokingly, waving her finger at them before gesturing grandly at the newest lunatic in their midst (according to her, they got along like a house of fire, there was no way he could be sane), "This is Noel, the total sweetie I met when I was helping out at the new school. Try not to scar him too badly tonight, okay?"

_Noel_ smiled winningly at her and winked. Hope ignored what his brain thought about that. "Oh, I don't think any of you need to worry about that." _Nice voice._ Then Noel turned that smile on the rest of them and Hope's mind blanked out for a second. Very nice view- **School**. She met him at a school. That would make him a kid. _A really good looking kid_. But the looks were neither here nor there - _so very here_ -, kids were bad when it came to the direction Hope's brain wanted to go. No more of that. This was a kid and he was an adult, Hope reminded himself after a moment spent collecting what was left of his wits. Noel was Serah's new, awesome friend. A teenager. Had to be. He'd probably get along great with Snow in no time at all (once Snow got over the superficial jealousy anyway). And he'd probably find Hope awkward and difficult to talk to, just like everybody else.

Hope grimaced to himself and pressed his back further into the chair. He could do this. Just admire the view and nothing else. Nothing to it. And his stomach could stop dropping every time the kid glanced his way anytime now. Please. Those looks getting cast his way were not appraising in any shape, form, or fashion either. He was just imagining things. Noel was probably just curious about Serah's inner circle. That's all.

Except they were starting to get awfully frequent...

_Shit_.

Hope took a sip of his beer and resigned himself to suffering through a very difficult life for the next couple of months. The next time Serah insisted on bringing a new friend home, he was most definitely going to take a rain check.


End file.
